Refrigerator Jam

enjoy my little herbivores!

Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp

Freshly picked strawberries and rhubarb cooked to sweet perfection and topped with vanilla ice cream.

Ingredients:
1 cup rolled oats
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 tsp of cinnamon
1/2 cup butter, melted
2 cups chopped strawberries
2 cups chopped rhubarb
1 cup cold water
1/2 cup white sugar
1 tbsp cornstarch



Directions:
1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2.Mix oats, flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and butter together in a bowl; press mixture into the bottom of a 9-inch pie pan. Top with strawberries and rhubarb.
3.Stir water, white sugar, and cornstarch together in a saucepan. Bring to simmer, constantly whisking, until mixture bubbles and thickens; pour over fruit layer.
4.Bake in the preheated oven until bubbling, about 1 hour.

Note: The original recipe did not call for cinnamon but I added it and I liked the results :)

enjoy my little herbivores.

Chocolate Covered Kiwi Pops

recipe courtesy of oh desserts

 

Kiwi – peel and cut into 1 inch thick rounds, with a popsicle stick in each round. Freeze on a tray in the freezer.

Chop 1 cup dark chocolate and 1/2 cup Coconut oil – melt over a double boiler. Cool down to room temp.

Dip each Kiwi-pop into the chocolate mixture (it will immediately turn crispy) and place on a tray to refreeze

enjoy my little herbivores.

Fruity Organic Salad

 

Today I made a pledge to eat healthier than normal and made myself a delicious salad for dinner. It had a pleasant but not overwhelming sweetness that I just had to share.

 

To make this particularly tasty salad I used:
•A mixture of organic fresh greens
•Organic blueberries
•Freshly picked strawberries from my garden

 

The dressing was made using a Dark Chocolate Oil with a splash of white wine vinegar. The ratio between oil and vinegar is determined by personal taste.

 

enjoy my little herbivores

Tofu "Egg" Salad Recipe

With a tablespoon of mustard to give it a yellowish hue, this tofu egg salad recipe really looks and tastes like egg salad. Serve on bread with lettuce for a vegan "egg" salad sandwich.

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 block firm tofu, drained
• 1/3 cup mayonnaise (use Vegenaise for a vegan version)
• 1/3 cup sweet relish
• 1/2 tsp lemon juice
• 1/2 stalk celery, diced
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp onion powder
• 1 tbsp mustard
• dash paprika for garnish (optional)

Preparation:

In a medium-sized bowl, mash the tofu with a fork. Add remaining ingredients and stir together until well combined. Sprinkle with paprika for garnish, if desired. Serve on bread with lettuce for an "egg" salad sandwich, or spread on crackers for a casual hors d'ouerves

enjoy my little herbivores

courtesy of vegetarian.about

Inside out Caramel Apples

A great snack and easy to do!
 
INGREDIENTS:
3 large Granny Smith apples
1 large lemon
2 cups brown sugar
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 tbs butter
2 tbs light corn syrup
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup chopped pecans (optional)

ACTION:Cut your apples in half and use a melon baller to scoop out the insides, leaving the walls intact at about 1/2 inch thickness.(NOTE: the more you apple you remove, the more caramel you will end up with)

Squeeze the juice from the lemon onto the apples and allow to set. This will keep them from turning brown right away.

In a sauce pan over high heat, add the brown sugar, butter, heavy cream and corn syrup. Stir until the brown sugar has dissolved. Allow to boil, stirring occasionally, until it reaches 230 degrees, about 7-10 minutes. Remove from heat and add the vanilla, stir continually until it stops bubbling. Allow to cool for about 10-15 minutes.

Using a paper towel, wipe your apples down, removing the lemon juice as much as possible. If the inside of your apple is too wet, the caramel wont stick.

Pour the caramel into the hollowed out apples until just below the top.

Sprinkle with pecans. (if desired)

Chill in the refrigerator until the caramel has set, about 20 minutes.

Cut into serving slices.

Enjoy my little herbivores.

caramel recipe courtesy of  domesticfits

 

Fruit Popsicle

With summer at our door its time to enjoy the heat and cool off with a nice treat. What better snack than a healthy popsicle made entirely of fruit!

Ingredients:
3 cups watermelon puree (seedless if possible)
1/2 cup fresh blueberries
1/2 cup chopped fresh strawberries
1 kiwi, peeled and sliced
1 peach or nectarine, diced small
handful fresh cherries, pitted and chopped

Cut the watermelon into chunks and then puree it in a blender until smooth. Set aside.

Set out about 1 dozen popsicle molds (amount needed will vary depending on size of molds). Fill each one with the chopped fresh fruit. Then pour in the watermelon puree until each mold is full to the top. Place a popsicle stick into each one. Place into your freezer and freeze for about 6 to 8 hours.

When ready to serve, run the popsicle molds under warm water for a few seconds and then pull each one out.

Crisp Cucumber Salsa

 

Note: 1/4 cup is only 16 calories!
 

In one bowl combine:
 2 cups finely chopped seeded peeled cucumber
 1/2 cup finely chopped seeded tomato
 1/4 cup chopped red onion
 2 Tbsp minced fresh parsley
 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped
 4-1/2 tsp minced fresh cilantro
 1 garlic clove, minced or pressed
 

In another bowl combine: 

 1/4 c reduced-fat sour cream
 1-1/2 tsp lemon juice
 1-1/2 tsp lime juice
 1/4 tsp ground cumin
 1/4 tsp seasoned salt

Pour the liquid mix over the cucumber mixture and toss gently to coat. Serve immediately with chips.

 

Enjoy my little herbivores.

Cooler Corn

I came across a neat little trick for cooking lots of corn perfect and efficiently. This works great for a family get together, holidays or a camping trip.

Take a (Coleman) cooler, wipe it clean, then fill it with the shucked ears. Next, pour two kettles-full of boiling water over the corn and close the lid.
Wait for about 30 minutes and you will have perfectly cooked corn. Apparently the corn will remain at the perfect level of doneness for a couple of hours.

Turns out, this trick for Cooler Corn is pretty well known among the outdoorsy set but for those of us who avoid tents as much as possible, it's perfect for large barbecues and way less of mess than grilling.

Weight loss Smoothie

Flat Belly Smoothie
Makes 1 serving:

Ingredients
3 ounces of vanilla non-fat Greek yogurt
1tbsp of almond butter
½ cup frozen blueberries
½ cup frozen pineapples
1 cup of kale
¾ cup of water



Place all the ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.
Enjoy immediately.

Make Food Fun

It’s time to make food fun and enjoyable for kids and yourself. Fruits and veggies are colorful but it’s all in how you arrange them that create the interest to get people, particularly kids, to actually enjoy them. Here are some great inspirational pictures to get you enthused to make healthy food fun!

 

 

 

A Banana a Day Keeps the Doctor Away

Bananas contain three natural sugars - sucrose, fructose and glucose combined with fibre. A banana gives an instant, sustained and substantial boost of energy.
Research has proven that just two bananas provide enough energy for a strenuous 90-minute workout. No wonder the banana is the number one fruit with the world's leading athletes.
But energy isn't the only way a banana can help us keep fit. It can also help overcome or prevent a substantial number of illnesses and conditions, making it a must to add to our daily diet.

DEPRESSION: According to a recent survey undertaken by MIND amongst people suffering from depression, many felt much better after eating a banana. This is because bananas contain tryptophan, a type of protein that the body converts into serotonin, known to make you relax, improve your mood and generally make you feel happier.

PMS: Forget the pills - eat a banana. The vitamin B6 it contains regulates blood glucose levels, which can affect your mood.

ANEMIA: High in iron, bananas can stimulate the production of hemoglobin in the blood and so helps in cases of anemia.

BLOOD PRESSURE: This unique tropical fruit is extremely high in potassium yet low in salt, making it perfect to beat blood pressure So much so, the US Food and Drug Administration has just allowed the banana industry to make official claims for the fruit's ability to reduce the risk of blood pressure and stroke.

BRAIN POWER: 200 students at a Twickenham (Middlesex) school ( England ) were helped through their exams this year by eating bananas at breakfast, break, and lunch in a bid to boost their brain power. Research has shown that the potassium-packed fruit can assist learning by making pupils more alert.

CONSTIPATION: High in fibre, including bananas in the diet can help restore normal bowel action, helping to overcome the problem without resorting to laxatives.

HANGOVERS: One of the quickest ways of curing a hangover is to make a banana milkshake, sweetened with honey. The banana calms the stomach and, with the help of the honey, builds up depleted blood sugar levels, while the milk soothes and re-hydrates your system.

HEARTBURN: Bananas have a natural antacid effect in the body, so if you suffer from heartburn, try eating a banana for soothing relief.

MORNING SICKNESS: Snacking on bananas between meals helps to keep blood sugar levels up and avoid morning sickness.

MOSQUITO BITES: Before reaching for the insect bite cream, try rubbing the affected area with the inside of a banana skin. Many people find it amazingly successful at reducing swelling and irritation.

NERVES: Bananas are high in B vitamins that help calm the nervous system.. Overweight and at work? Studies at the Institute of Psychology in Austria found pressure at work leads to gorging on comfort food like chocolate and chips. Looking at 5,000 hospital patients, researchers found the most obese were more likely to be in high-pressure jobs. The report concluded that, to avoid panic-induced food cravings, we need to control our blood sugar levels by snacking on high carbohydrate foods every two hours to keep levels steady.

ULCERS: The banana is used as the dietary food against intestinal disorders because of its soft texture and smoothness. It is the only raw fruit that can be eaten without distress in over-chronicler cases. It also neutralizes over-acidity and reduces irritation by coating the lining of the stomach.

TEMPERATURE CONTROL: Many other cultures see bananas as a 'cooling' fruit that can lower both the physical and emotional temperature of expectant mothers. In Thailand , for example, pregnant women eat bananas to ensure their baby is born with a cool temperature.

So, a banana really is a natural remedy for many ills. When you compare it to an apple, it has FOUR TIMES the protein, TWICE the carbohydrate, THREE TIMES the phosphorus, five times the vitamin A and iron, and twice the other vitamins and minerals.. It is also rich in potassium and is one of the best value foods around.

Click to check out more banana health facts.

Sweet Potato Breakfast Omelet

So I found this breakfast recipe for my Ovo-Vegetarians out there. It was originally made with meat but I decided that it didn’t need it. It makes 2 sweet potato crust breakfast omelets.
 

Omelet mixture:

8 whisked eggs

1.5 tbs salt
1 finely chopped sautéed onion
1 finely chopped sautéed red pepper
2 cloves of minced sautéed garlic
2 cups of lightly steamed broccoli
½ cup of sundried tomatoes

1.Lightly greases 2 pies dishes. Thinly slice 1 large (or 2 small) sweet potatoes and arrange around the bottom of the pie dishes.
2.Sprinkle sweet potatoes with sea salt and pepper.
3.Pour the omelet mixture over top.
4.Bake at 150 for about 40 minutes.

Watermelon Cake

Are you looking for a great healthy dessert idea for your next get together? With the health movement becoming all the rage people have been creating healthier alternatives for everything including desserts. Here is a scrumptious looking idea that is both vegan and vegetarian!
 
Ingredients:
- 1 large seedless watermelon
- 2 cans full fat coconut milk (left in fridge for 6 hours or more)
- 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1 Tbsp. raw honey
- 1 cup sliced raw almonds
- Seasonal fresh fruit (for topping)

Directions:
TO MAKE THE COCONUT WHIPPED CREAM
1. Make sure to place the can of coconut milk in the refrigerator for at least 6 hours (or overnight). This will cause the cream to separate from the milk. The cream will be at the top of the can.
2. Open the can of coconut milk and scrape out the cream into a medium sized bowl. Hint: I always open the can from the bottom and pour the milk out into a separate container before scraping out the cream. You can use the saved milk for smoothies and other recipes.
3. Add the vanilla and raw honey to the mixture. Whip the cream with a hand mixer on medium speed and work your way up to high speed until the cream is fluffy. Place the bowl of whipped cream in the fridge until ready to use.

TO MAKE THE TOASTED ALMONDS:
1. Place a medium sized skillet over medium-high heat and allow the pan to get hot.
2. Add the sliced almonds and toss in the pan until they are toasted and turn a light brown color. Remove from pan and set aside to cool.

TO ASSEMBLE:
1. Remove the top and bottom from the watermelon and remove the rind from the middle section. You should be left with a cake-shaped piece of watermelon. Cut the watermelon "cake" into the number of wedges/slices you want (I recommend 6-8 slices depending on the size of the watermelon).
2. Pat the outside of the watermelon dry with paper towels (this is important because it will help the coconut whipped cream adhere better).
3. Dip the outside edge of each slice into the coconut whipped cream and then into the toasted almonds, and reassemble the wedges into the cake shape on a serving platter. Top with more whipped coconut cream and your favorite fresh fruit (I used blackberries, strawberries and kiwi). Serve or store in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

Best when served within a few hours of assembling.
 
Enjoy my little herbivores.

courtesy of paleocupboard